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PIARC (World Road Association), founded in 1909 and comprising 125 member governments from all over the world, is the global forum for exchange of knowledge and experience on roads, road transport policies and practices. With consultative status to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, the Association is contributing to a stable and sustainable global development of the road and transport sector.

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The XVI World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress shifts to a virtual format! The deadline of the call for abstracts is extended to 28 February 2021

3rd February 2021

Are you an expert in winter service or road resilience? Deadline extended! Submit your abstract before February 28, 2021 and join the XVI World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress in February 2022!

The XVI
World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress shifts to a virtual format!
The deadline of the call for abstracts is extended to 28 February 2021

In keeping with the slogan of the Congress, “Adapting to a Changing World”, and due to the ongoing health and economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the XVI World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress will be held in digital format.

PIARC’s congresses have been successful over the years due to their inclusiveness.Unfortunately, it became apparent to PIARC, Transport Canada, and the City of Calgary that due to the pandemic - the emergence of variants of Covid-19 that erupt unexpectedly, the uncertainty of vaccine supply around the world, and the associated economic repercussions being felt in nations - the ability to attend an international congress may be reduced for many, if not most, member countries and PIARC’s partners/stakeholders. As a result, a unique virtual platformwill be set up to enable a full event to be held in times of a pandemic. It will allow decision-makers as well as technical experts, road authorities and administrators, operators, equipment manufacturers and engineers, and academia to take part in the XVI edition of the Congress. It will also be easier and more cost-effective for all countries to take part in the Congress since authors and delegates will not need to cover transportation and accommodation expenses.

Full technical details on the digital format will be shared in the coming months.


New digital experience with a rich technical content

Key aspects of the XVI World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress remain unchanged:

  • The Congress will address winter service, as in previous editions, as well as road resilience (in all seasons). This is reflected in the 15 topics of the international call for papers.
  • English and French are official languages of the Congress. Congress organizers will make every effort to provide Spanish interpretation should there be sufficient registration of delegates who indicate Spanish as their preferred language.
  • The Congress will be of interest to practitioners, road authorities and operators, as well as experts and academia. The papers should present case studies, research results and/or practical experiences related to the topics of the call.

Are you an expert in winter service or road resilience? Share your professional achievements by submitting a 400-word abstract by February 28, 2021!

The call for papers is already a success with more than 300 abstracts received from over 40 countries! We would like to build on this success.

Due to the change in the format of the Congress, as well as the strong interest of international experts in the themes of winter service and road resilience (in all seasons), we are pleased to announce that the deadline for submitting abstracts has been extended to February 28, 2021. Abstracts may be submitted in English, French or Spanish.

>> Don't wait any longer and submit your abstract here before 28 February 2021! <<

The abstracts will be reviewed anonymously by PIARC Technical Committees. Authors will be notified before 15 April 2021 if their abstract has been accepted Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to submit a full paper before 15 August 2021. Papers that are accepted will be published in the Congress proceedings and will provide input to the technical content of the Congress sessions. All authors of accepted papers will present their work and results at interactive poster sessions. Outstanding contributions will be selected for an oral presentation during the Congress.


Key dates

  • Call for papers: From July 2020
  • Deadline for authors to submit abstracts: 28 February 2021
  • Notice of acceptance of abstracts: 15 April 2021
  • Deadline for authors to submit full text of papers: 15 August 2021
  • Notice of review of papers: 1 November 2021
  • XVI World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress - Calgary 2022 (digital format): 8-11 February 2022

The XVI World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress

The World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress is a world-class event that builds on decades of PIARC experience. It brings together road experts and practitioners from across the globe. This will be the 16th edition of the International Winter Road Congress, which PIARC has organised every four years since 1969.

Historically, this Congress represents a unique opportunity to discuss in depth all subjects related to roads in winter: traffic management, pavement conditions, de-icing agents, equipment, information to users, and more. These topics are and remain essential issues for many PIARC members.

The XVI Congress in 2022 will begin a new and exciting chapter for PIARC. In an effort to highlight issues of paramount importance to our members, the additional theme of resilience will be addressed during the 2022 Congress. Ensuring the resilience of roads and of transport services is indeed a priority for our members, who are confronted with deteriorating infrastructure, budget constraints, adverse climate events, and rapidly evolving user expectations. Road resilience will be addressed in the broadest sense, without seasonal constraints.


Further information